We Say/You Say: Bank Closures
Hi neighbours,
How are you going to be impacted by changes in banking?
Mayors around the country have called on the government to intervene in bank closures around the country.
33 mayors around the country have signed an open letter to Jacinda Ardern asking her government to investigate the closures. The mayors stated that access to ATMs would not address the social harm and depravities for provincial and farming communities.
Last week, Kiwibank announced that it would close seven of its branches, with BNZ confirming it would close 38 branches nationwide.
BNZ Chief Customer Officer, Paul Carter, said three-quarters of their customers are digitally active.
“The majority of our customers are banking online and our talented bankers are often waiting in empty branches for customers that simply do not arrive,” he said.
BNZ customer Jasmine Polglase was more concerned for her grandparents, who banked with the BNZ.
“They don’t have a computer, like many elderly. But unlike my grandparents, some here don’t have family to do banking for them and help them navigate that sort of thing.”
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🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
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Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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